Low-cost 'feature' smartwatches, supporting only functions baked in by the manufacturer and lacking flashy designs, may be the push needed to help smartwatches go mainstream. Without it, the market might remain limp-wristed for a long time to come.

The logic behind Project Ara is pretty solid when you consider how fragile the current crop of smartphones are. A poll by MobileInsurance.co.uk last year suggests that 25% of iPhone owners continue to use their device with a broken screen, reasoning that they couldn't afford to replace it or were unable to easily repair it.